Display rack



vDec. 27, 1932. F. E. HUTCHINS ET AL DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 6, 19-32 5 equal intensity of light for purposes of effecare eliminated.

patented Dec. 27, 1932 barren-stares PATENT OFFFICE FERM E. HUTCHINS, OF LAKEWOOD, AND CLYDE F. LOSEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO DISPLAY RACK Application. filed February 6, 1932. Serial No. 591,386.

This invention relates to a display rack for wall paper and the like, and particularly to a rack in which a number of rolls of Wall paper, oil cloth and various other materials may be displayed and illuminated most conveniently and advantageously.

In order to attractively display such mate rials, the material must be arranged so that its surface can be viewed from close 0r'distant positions and illuminated in a manner so that the observer does not cast his own shadow upon the surface. This requires that the source of light be positioned close to the surface to be illuminated and also disposed so that the rays of light do not interfere with the observers vision.

It is equally desirable to display a considerable surface area of several papers or materials concurrently, all illuminated with tive comparison.

Many attempts have been made to illuminate and displaywall paper in this manner, but the results have proven unsatisfactory.

. It has been found that if the light is placed close to the surface of the paper, the intensity of illumination varies greatly if a large area of the paper is displayed, thus producing bright and dull areas. the commonly used types of racks, if the light strikes the paper at a very flat angle of incidence, alternate glares and shadows result.

Again, difliculties have been encountered in illuminating the paper or material so that no changes in the intensity of illumination can be observed by the observer as the position from which he views the paper is changed.

It is an object of the present invention to display wall paper and other materials in a manner such that it is illuminated at substantially equal intensity over a large area.

Another object is to illuminate thepaper evenly from a. source of light disposed close to the plane of the paper surface but offset from the line of vision of the observer in a manner such that'the illumination appears the same to the observer from any angle of observation, and bright areas and shadows Furthermore, in'

Fig. 1 is a front elevati f a rack .4

bodying the principles of our invention.

Fig. 2 1s a vertical sectional view of the rack taken on the line 2-2 of Flg. 1.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic View J illustrating the manner in which the material is exposed to the light.

Referring to Fig. 1, the rack comprises a plurality of upright supports or standards 1 which are secured together in spaced relation to each other by suitable cross brace members 2 and 3. At the top of the standards is provided a hood 4: which is rigidly secured to the upright members and extends across the entire width of the rack. The lower wall of the hood 4 is closed by a diffus ing glass 7 which slopes downwardly outwardly from the upright standard at an angle of about 30 to the horizontal. Within the hood 4 are a plurality of lights 5 provided with suitable reflectors 6 for projecting the light rays downwardly through the glass and along the front face of the rack. Mounted between the upright standards are a plurality of rolls of wall paper or other material to be displayed. These rolls, designated 8, are positioned with their axes horizontal and span the distance between the supports.

In order that the rolls of paper may be reeled and unreeled easily, they are rolled upon the reeling rods 9 which are preferably self winding spring operated rods such as are used for window shades and the like. These rods are detachably secured at their ends in the usual brackets 10 and 11', so that the rolls may be placed in various relative positions with respect to each other for purposes of comparison.

In order to support the unrolled paper in proper position relative to the rays of light from the hood, the rolls are arranged one above the other as illustrated so that the unrolled material of any roll is supported from the rear by the rolls therebeneath. The axes of the rolls define a curvilinear surface preferably circular in cross section, and concave forwardly of the rack toward the light. The unreeled sheet or strip resting against the rolls consequently defines a parallel curvilinear surface. The curve of this surface is such relative to the light projected from the hood, that each portion of the entire surface of the material receives substantially the same intensity of illumination aseach other portion.

In the form illustrated, the curve passes from a vertical tangent spaced inwardly of the rack from the light and extends downwardly and outwardly toward a vertical axis through the light. The point of curve designated PT is located in a horizontal plane which passes approximately through the center of the glass 6, the point of tangency of the opposite end of the curve lying on the vertical axes through the light.

In Fig. 3 the details of this curve are illustrated, the curve used in this particular case being circular. The center of the light is about 8 forwardly of the rack from the surface of the curve, the angle of intersection of the tangents being about 11 and 8 minutes and the length of the tangent about 22-2/10 the curve therefore having a radius of about 229". It appears that an increase in the de gree of curvature results in a steep angle of incidence of the light and causes bright areas on the material directly below, the light, while a decrease in the degree of curvature resulting on a comparatively fiat angle of incidence tends to cast shadows on the surface displayed. 7 I

With the effects of these changes in curvature so described, variations may be made in the positioning of the lights and rolls so that equal intensity of illumination may be obtained in the particular form of rack used,-

it being important in all cases however, that the light be kept close to the forward face of the rack and that the surface displayed lie in a curve of large radius, the curve extending from a point behind the light and forwardly of the rack toward the vertical axis through the light and preferably that the center of the curve lie in a horizontal plane passing through the center of the diffusing glass, which in effect becomes the source of light.

As above stated, this source of light is about 8 forwardly of the surface of the material, the remainder of the rack being drawn in scaled proportions. .A rack constructed according to the proportions shown in the drawing is effective in accomplishing all of the objects above set forth.

Having thus described our invention, We claim:

1. A display rack comprising a pair of upright standards secured together in spaced relation to each other, a source of light arranged at the upper portion of the rack closely in front of and intermediate the planes of the standards for producing downwardly projecting rays of light, strips of material to be displayed extending between the standards and arranged one above the other and disposed with their faces toward the front, and means to support the strips with their faces in partially overlapping relationship and defining a curvilinear surface concave toward said light.

2. A display rack for comparing sheet materials comprising a pair of upright standards secured together in spaced relation to each other, a source of light arranged at the upper portion of the rack in front of and intermediate the planes of the standards for producing downwardly projecting rays of light, downwardly hanging sheets of material to be displayed arranged one above the other and extending between the standards and disposed with their faces toward the front, means for supporting each of said sheets with the face defining a curvilinear surface concave toward the source of light, said curvilinear surface lying in closely spaced relation to a vertical plane through said source of light.

3. A rack for the purposes described, comprising a pair of upright supports secured in spaced relation to each other, rolls of material arranged one above the other and ex tending transversely between said supports, means secured at the endsto said supports and supporting rolls of material for rotation therebctween, whereby the rolls may be reeled and unreeled, the axes of said rolls being disposed in a surface extending from a position closely adjacent to and spaced from the source of light and curving gradually outwardly and downwardly beneath said light, and the material of each roll being supported in a position by the rolls therebeneath socas to lie in a surface substantially parallel to the surface of said axesl. A display rack for the purposes described comprising an upright support. an elongated strip of material secured by its upper end to said support and having its face disposed forwardly for displaying the same, a source of light carried by said support and disposed close to the surface of the material and projecting rays downwardly along the surface of said material and means supporting said material with said displayed face defining a curvilinear surface, the curve of said surface beginning at a vertical tangent at the portion of the support adjacent to the light and curving forwardly beneath the source of light, the end of said curve remote from the source of light being disposed substantially under the center thereof, whereby substantially equal illumination over the entire surface of the material is effected.

5. A display rack for the purposes described comprising an upright frame, a strip of material to be displayed secured at its upper end to said frame, and carried by the frame in a position to expose its Wide surface forwardly of the frame, a source of light arranged at the top and in front of the frame and casting rays of light downwardly on the surface of said material, means carried by the frame for supporting said ma terial with the exposed surface curvilinear and concave toward the light, said curvilinear surface being positioned relative to said light for effecting substantiallyequal intensity of illumination over the entire area thereof.

6. A rack for the purposes described comprising an upright support, strips of material arranged one above the other and carried by the support for displaying the flat surfaces forwardly at the front of the rack, a source of light arranged at the top of the rack close to the front face thereof and projectin light rays downwardly, means on said rack for supporting said material with the displayed surface positioned relative to the light to efiect illumination of substantially equal intensity over the entire displayed surface of the material.

7. A rack for the purposes described, comprising an upright support, a source of light arranged at the top and slightly in front thereof and close to the surface of the material to be displayed, a plurality of strips of material arranged one above the other on said rack and means supporting the strips of material to be displayed with their flat surfaces disposed on a curve concave toward the light, the axis of curvature of said curve being horizontal and said curve being tangent to a plane parallel to a vertical axis through a source of light and in closely spaced relation to said light adjacent thereto, and concave toward the said vertical axis, and intersecting the same at the lower limit of the curve.

8. A rack for the purposes described, a pair of upright supports secured in spaced relation to each other, rolls of material arranged one above the other and each roll extending transversely between said supports and carried thereby, a source of light disposed at the top and in front of said frame, the rays of light from said source being directed downwardly, the axes of said rolls lying in a curvilinear surface concave toward the light and the material of each roll being arranged to unroll and lie over the rolls therebelow and to be supported thereby so as to lie in a parallel curvilinear surface, said surface being curved relative to the light so that the entire surface formed by the unrolled material is subjected to equal intensity of illumination over the entire area thereof.

9. A rack for the purposes described, comprising a pair of spaced upright supports, a plurality of rolls of material disposed therebetween with their axes horizontal, each roll being mounted on a spring actuated self reeling rodand said rolls being arranged one above the other and the material of each roll being adapted to be supported by the rolls therebeneath when unrolled, the axes of said rolls defining a curvilinear surface concave toward the source of light and disposed relative thereto to effect substantially the same degree of illumination over the entire displayed surface of each of said rolls.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

FER-M E. HUTCHINS. CLYDE F. LOSEY. 

